Copywriting: ‘A’ stands for Artificial
Words Nadine Thiedeke | Strategy Manager
Posted 26/03/2026
3-minute read
When “you can tell that’s not ChatGPT” feels like one of the highest compliments, something is wrong. There is a potential universe where AI will be referencing its own content in a sick, circular dance of soulless slop, and we will long for the days when em-dashes were our biggest concern.
So how can we protect good writing?
I’m not like other mums, I’m a cool mum.
As a millennial, they came for it all: ankle socks, side parts, winged eyeliner, and the word ‘doggo’. But if our latch-key upbringing should have taught us anything, it’s that authority isn’t meant to be our friends, so our banks definitely shouldn’t be our ‘besties’.
What my cheugy generation was fortunate to have was freedom. We were stomping through forest festivals in Vans shoes, having epiphanies at full moon parties, or waiting for the nightclub lights to switch on and reveal our sweaty, matte-mousse, mascara-smeared faces. We were perfectly happy to upload an album of blurry photos to Facebook the next day, ones that held no threat to our future job prospects. Now, the idea of being perceived is anxiety-inducing, and the fear of being ‘cringe’ prevents us from trying to be too much at all.
While Gen Z lords what is cool and what’s not over us, constantly changing their vernacular antics and ‘6’7s’, brands have lost their sense of self in a desperate attempt to connect. We all know that kind of desperation is universally uncool.
The world is hard enough, we don’t need to build prisons of imaginary rules. If there is space to explore without judgment, maybe people and brands can focus on being themselves…or at least something interesting.
Please be interesting
We say this a lot, but at least be memorable. As AI drafts our responses, organises our days, creates our marketing speak, and writes lyrics to our songs—it all gets so glossy it’s almost indigestible. The things I see people connect with are the ones that are undeniably human.
So while science fiction becomes our reality, it may not pose the threat we thought it would. The inundation of AI is just more stuff to wade through. You won’t find a unique idea there—the nature of it is that it’s derivative. OK, nothing is original, we’re a product of our experiences, AI will likely get there etc. but for now, you’re competitive edge against the artificial is that you are real. Sometimes your writing is going to suck, but at least go down in flames as yourself, there’s integrity in that.
The craft
While the world threatens to meld into one instagram-face of sameness, craft will be king. This goes beyond niche hobbies and 10,000 hours of mastery—but anything that takes dedication and cannot be bought. We’re seeing strong bodies over Ozempic, curators over influencers. Take the time to understand what you’re writing and have a real voice. The more creative ChatGPT gets, the more creative that creatives will need to be.
At Studio Payne, we craft copy and verbal identities that are unique to each brand. We use AI to enhance our efficiencies (like asking ChatGPT how long it would take to read this article) and assist with ideation, ever conscious of retaining humanity within our creative while keeping on the pulse of technology. If you’re interested in building experiences that resonate, endure, and inspire—let’s create something extraordinary together.
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